Hijaking of UNESCO’s agenda undermines the legitimacy of it’s noble mission — and continued support of UNESCO means supporting authoritarian, un-democratic, and anti-Semitic governments and institutions

UNESCO unilaterally called on Israel to “stop agression” against Palesinians, and made no mention of terrorism against Israeli citizens, in a resolution that referred to the Western Wall, Temple Mount, Cave of the Patriarchs, and Rachel’s Tomb, solely in Muslim terms. France, Spain (who wants Jews back) and Italy all abstained in the vote:

The vote in Paris was 26 in favor, six against and 15 abstentions. The US, Germany, United Kingdom, Estonia and Netherlands, Czech Republic voted against the resolution while a number of other European countries such as Albania, Austria, Ethiopia, Angola, Spain, France and Italy were among those that abstained.

Originally, UNESCO’s resolution, prepared by the Palestinian Authority and introduced by six Arab states, designated the Kotel or Western Wall as part of al Aqsa Mosque and the tomb of Rachel as the burial place of Bilal Ibn Rabah, a companion of the prophet Mohammed.

The finished draft declared the Cave of the Patriarchs as a Muslim shrine and an integral part of Palestine. Zero mention of it’s Jewish roots.

In addition to exposing the farcical role of UNESCO, the vote proves that those who care about the future of Israel and Jewish connection to the Holy Land must vigorously advocate to upend this travesty.

This initiative is part of a long process led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that seeks to deny the existence of the Jewish Temples and to erase any Jewish and Christian ties to Jerusalem’s holy sites.

Mr. Abbas has made his intentions veryclear by delcaring that the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre “are ours”.

It is imperative that those concerned about the situation react by calling, emailing, Facebooking, and Tweeting about this to every UNESCO sponsors – which include Google, Smithsonian, A&E, German Gov – and all mainstream media sources. Other governements that support UNESCO, and those that abstained from voting, need to hear that they are complicit in erasing Jewish history.

It is important that those who care for the future of Israel contact the companies and countries that support UNESCO. They may support good work in some areas – but their public association with UNESCO and continued financial support, means that UNESCO will never change.

Here is some more background info:

At a meeting of ISESCO in Amman in 2011, the motion was introduced that the Western Wall also be called Al-Boraq’s Wall, named for Mohammad’s horse. From time immemorial the site was called the Western Wall/Wailing Wall (Kotel Hamaaravi) and was known to be the outer retaining wall for the site of the Temple. The Palestinians now want to take it a step further by seeking to gain UNESCO recognition of the Wall as part of the Al Aqsa Mosque which was built many centuries after the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 CE. This claim of exclusivity to the holiest sites of the Jewish people and revered sites of Christianity, central to tenants of both religions, is an outrage that would not be tolerated in any other circumstance.

At UNESCO’s World Heritage Council meeting in Bonn, Germany in July 2015, President Abbas advanced the same ideas. The automatic pro-Arab majority in virtually every UN body assures automatic passage of even the most ludicrous and counterproductive proposals. We hope that every nation that respects religious freedom, historical truth and seeks to foster mutual understanding among religious groups, will reject this outrageous resolution. Palestinian leaders have been engaged in incitement claiming in public statements, sermons, broadcasts, media reports, that al Aqsa was “under siege” and calling on Palestinians to rally to its defense. Mr. Abbas also spread this message into neighboring Arab countries. The resulting violence has taken almost 50 lives with many more injured in recent days. By inciting passions over the Temple Mount and fomenting disputes these religious sites, Mr. Abbas is turning a political conflict into a religious war.

The UNESCO Executive Council is expected to take the matter up on Wednesday and it may go to the full plenum, where Palestine is a recognized member state. The resolution declares the Western Wall and Mughrabi Gate are part of al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. The resolution then goes on to condemn the excavations in the Old City despite UNESCO decisions approving them. It condemns “Israeli aggression and illegal measures against the freedom of worship and access of Muslims to al Aqsa Mosque and Israel’s attempt to break the status quo since 1967”. The litany of condemnations includes accusations of attacks by extremists on the mosque, and opposes the building of a cable car in east Jerusalem, and attacks actions by Israel and the IDF in Jerusalem. These charges and the Palestinian drive to de-Judaize Jerusalem and deny the Christian attachment to the holy places, should be the subject of condemnation. Passage of this resolution will be seen as a reward for terrorism and violence of recent days and further exacerbate any chance for meaningful negotiations.

It should be noted that the only desecration of the Temple Mount was as a result of Palestinian actions which destroyed vast archaeologically significant sections. More than 400 tons of debris were taken off the Temple Mount as the Waqf expanded an underground mosque in Solomon’s Stables. For ten years, volunteers have been sifting through the debris and finding many important antiquities.

People to contact include:

CEO of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bikova at i.bokova@unesco.org and Ms. Marie Paule Roudil, head of the UNESCO Liasion Office to the UN at mp.roudil@unesco.org.

Jewish communities might be fighting about fair access to the Kotel, but what is missing from the discussion is Jewish use of holy places in Jerusalem. The Muslim Waqf and the Palestinian Authority’s opposition to the Kotel compromise demonstrates their intense racism. Instead of infighting, the Jewish community needs a bold and unified approach regarding access to the holiest Jewish sites and exposing injustice.

A newly released compromise for access to the Kotel calls for development of the Southern part of the Kotel wall for the creation of a mixed prayer area. The plan faces many hurdles. However, it is considered by many to be a fair solution to what seemed not long ago to be an intractable situation. Hopes are high around the world that those who most vehemently seek representation of their religious beliefs, and respect for their prayer choices at the Kotel, will accept the plan.

Even if there is a brokered settlement between opposing Jewish factions, there is a fundamental and historical challenge ahead. The most contentious front against the compromise at the Kotel will be from the Muslim Waqf and the Palestinian Authority which regularly launch protests against any development of Jewish access to places near the Temple Mount.

Jews may be able to reach a compromise, but the Waqf and the PA will not. The PA and Waqf will wage an international campaign claiming Jews are trying to destroy the Temple Mount just as they have alleged in the past. Whatever solution is eventually created, the Waqf and Palestinian Authority will decry it as encroachment on Muslim holy sites.

PA religious affairs minister said recently [http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/PA-objects-to-Israels-Western-Wall-construction-plans-316375] that that creating a Southern Kotel Plaza in order to add an egalitarian/mixed section may “push all of us to new conflicts”. Clearly these statements are intended to be threatening. He is promising a violent and organized reaction against Jewish access to our holy site, and Israeli sovereignty.

Instead of proposing a plan to create the mixed prayer plaza, Israel needs to start negotiations about a Jewish presence on the Temple Mount itself and development of access to the Temple Mount for Jewish worshippers. Jewish worship on the Temple Mount is currently illegal. In May a group from Canadian B’nai Brith, hardly a radical or religiously extreme organization, were met with intense racism, cries of “Allah hu Akbar,” and harassment when they tried to visit the Temple Mount.

“You don’t have to send delegations to Hungary to witness raw antisemitism,” said Frank Dimant, a man known for diplomacy and moderation, “Jews are treated as second-class citizens in the Jewish state.” Ironically one of the leaders of the mission to Israel, Eric Bissell, president of B’nai Brith Canada, was also a delegate to the Global Forum on Anti Semitism taking place that same week in Jerusalem.

The problem of Jewish access to the Temple Mount is of paramount importance to the future of Jewish access to other holy sites of Jerusalem some of which, like the Temple Mount and the Kotel, are clearly outside of pre-1967 borders. A future Palestinian State might make Jewish prayer there illegal. Successive Israeli governments have refused to address this racism over desires to avoid a provocation. The Kotel compromise negotiations have drawn this conflict out in the open and presents an ideal opportunity to bring to the world’s attention the intense racism of the Waqf and PA.

The Israeli position could be spelled out clearly for the West:

Israel seeks to provide all their citizens freedom of religious practice— something that the PA and Waqf are clearly against. Israel stands for tolerance of different religious beliefs and unhindered religious practice. Religions can live side-side and Muslim and Jewish worshippers deserve equal access to the Temple Mount. Israeli proposals could include a Jewish prayer area which does not encroach upon the two mosques on the Mount.

The promised outcry from the PA will present the Jewish community with the undeniable fact that they do not control the destiny of their holiest places.

If the Waqf and the Palestinian Authority succeed in making those hard won plans for compromise and fair access to the Kotel obsolete through their threats of violence, the Jewish community in America, and Israel will face a serious test.

Therefore it is in Jewish and Israeli self-interest to reach a compromise over prayer at the Kotel. Israel and Jewish communities abroad need to stand together in solidarity to ensure fair access to the all Jewish holy places like Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb, rather than be bogged down in intense infighting over mixed prayer at the Kotel. Energy needs to expended upon fair prayer and fighting racism not denominational antipathy. Dueling over who decides what is authentic prayer distracts Jews from historic milestone of unfettered access to the Kotel denied for so many generations by successive occupying powers. It was not so long ago that no Jew could pray at the Kotel at all.

The debate must be change from the narrow question of fair access to a universal one – from “who prays where” at the Kotel, to “who prays where” in Jerusalem.

This “passion play” used was created to incite hatred against Jews and Israelis. This dramatic presentation of Jewish cruelty is in my opinion anti-semitic. It shows the helpless and powerless at the mercy of cruel Jewish villains. While one may choose to see this film in “objective” light – its only a protest Rabbi Yonah to raise awareness of the conflict – I cannot help but view this as part of the continuum of anti-semitism. In fact, the passion plays of the middle ages are very similar in content – showing a powerless Jesus victimized and killed by the Jews. The point of those passion plays was to inflame anger against Jews, and burn the image of the suffering Jesus into the minds of the public. The point of this passion play is to inflame anger against Jews, hatred of Israel, and burn the image of the suffering Palestinians into the minds of impressionable students. Some of these students involved told me that their peace proposal is the elimination – yes destruction – of Israel, and the establishment of an Islamic state in its place.

http://rabbiyonah.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cropped-RabbiYonahbookCover11.jpg00rabbiyonahhttp://rabbiyonah.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cropped-RabbiYonahbookCover11.jpgrabbiyonah2008-05-07 11:03:242008-05-07 11:03:24Muslim students show Jews as monsters

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